Investigation into Meth Distribution Network Began at Polk County Jail

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Folks in the 600 block of 22nd Street in West Des Moines were not happy to see us or willing to talk with us about what happened on Wednesday Morning. It was the same story over on the 4300 block of Parkridge Avenue in Pleasant Hill, at the Pleasant Valley Mobile Park. Both of those addresses are on the list of 21 locations where federal search warrants were executed this week. Authorities raided the locations as part of an investigation into a methamphetamine distribution network. Six people were charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

According to the criminal complaint: in April, federal agents began investigating the meth drug trafficking organization of 46 year-old Shannon Lee Paxton of Des Moines. A probation officer advised a Des Moines Police Department investigator that Paxton was on supervised release and had recently been arrested on a violation of that release. The officer advised that he had reviewed some of Paxton's recorded phone calls made while Paxton was in custody at the Polk County Jail and believed Paxton was orchestrating the sale of controlled substances while in custody. The complaint says the investigator reviewed a sampling of Paxton's phone calls and determined that Paxton was directing a number of other individuals to distribute meth and collect money from the sale of meth. Through the phone calls, the investigator identified 26 year-old Kira Fallis of Elkhart and 47 year-old Kerry Drew Haegele of Des moines as being part of Paxton's drug trafficking organization.

52 year-old John Archer and 63 year-old Charles Astley, both of Des Moines, and 34 year old Fidel Rios, Jr., of Pasco, Washington, were also charged.